Converging Fate and Time
by ilovemilknhoney
Summary: through the well kagome cheats the laws of time, and journies along a possible path of fate. however, after her callings of the feudal era are resolved, she is transported back to her own time, the time in which the lessons of her true fate will begin..
1. Prologue One

**Title: **_converging fate and time_

**Author: **_ilovemilknhoney_

**Discription: **_by travelling to the past, kagome cheats the laws of time, and journies along another possible path of fate. however, once all her callings of the feudal era are resolved, she is transported back to her own time, the time in which the lessons of her true fate will begin. but, in being a reicarnation of kikyo will fate repeat itself?_

**Prologue One; **_inuyasha and kagome, the final battle_

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an immence whirl of dark wind blew around the pair, towering above them as she felt his arms move around her waist, pulling her into his embrace. she was standing there, so close to him that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. their clothing tryed to assist in consuming them in the strom, as they blew with the pull of the wind. he was staring at her with his golden eyes, not daring to let her out of his sight. she could feel his eyes on her, as she stared at the golwing jewl, causing her to blush. the temptation to look into his affection was strong, but she couldnt risk losing her consentration.

_why now inuyasha? _her own thoughts were two-timing her, as her frustration caused the darkness to once again overcome the jewl. her hands lay open together, adjacent to her body, the jewl gravitated slightly above the inside of her palms, she feard the darkness was too strong for her. she couldnt do it, negative thoughts eneterd her mind as she doubted her own ability to purifly it. finally lost in confusion she lifted her gaze to inuyasha, not knowing what else to do.

pulling her into him even closer, inuyasha parted his hands from her waist placing them under her hands, the jewl, was protected by the closeness of the two bodies. feirce, the wind blew her hair across her face as she continued to stare into inuyasha eyes, _help me inuyasha_, she spoke to herself, _please inuyasha.. protect me. _

kagomes eyes screamed her thoughts at him, he knew she could do it, _stop doubting yourself_ his eyes spoke in response, attempting to comfort her own. but she was so scared, her expression so vulnerable. he moved his nose up to hers, brushing it slighlty, so she could look directley into his eyes.

"..ka..kagome" he spoke so softly, she bearly caught it creeping out his lips. "i'll protect you, even if it kills me"

she looked into his eyes, letting out a deap breath before gently closing her own. he sensed releif free the strain in her expression, as he moved his lips up to her ear, making sure she didnt miss anything he needed to say to her. he knew this was quite possibly the end, and he felt the accumlilation of all his feelings for kagome regergitate towards his throat. damned, if he was going to die without sucsessfully articulating the emotion locked up inside of him. the emotion he thought he would never experience again, until he met her. he took a breath to speak, but then hesitated, slightly bearing his fangs at his own weakness, before swallowing hard and then finally speaking...

"i've always loved you kagome"

the seconds between his declaration and kagomes reaction seemed like a lifetime for the half demon, so many thoughts raced through his head as he held his breath, just waiting. releived, he almost gasped for air, as forgetting the jewl and all her logic, kagome gracefully wraped her arms around him, tears just escaping from her eyes as she tucked her face subject to his neck.

as she held him, the wind grew stronger, overpowering the two as their feet lifted off the ground. inuyasha swiftly gripped hold of her, resting his chin on her shoulded, as they floated in the eye of the whirl wind. she held him tightly, pressing herself into him, he closed his eyes feeling her against him, "i'll never let you go"

he felt the wetness of kagomes tears on his neck, as unanticipatedly her skin grew warmer beneath him. shocked, he opened his eyes to see a barrier of pure light surrounding them.

"the jewl!"

his ears twitched and eyes widened as he broke the hold he had on kagome, now free from the effects of the wind, they both floated amongst the saftey of the barrier. the jewl glowed with purification inbetween them, and inuyasha could feel its power. he looked up into kagomes face opposite him. she floated bewitchingly, her eyes still closed. however, she didnt look scared as before. he looked at her closley, tilting his head as he tried to determine how she was feeling. a look of content was on her face, it was as if there was a great warmth inside her, trying to escape.

"kagome!" he tried to yell out to her, but was suprised at how sound hardley travelled through the space consumed by the barrier.

"KAGOME!" even while yelling as loud as he could, he could barely hear himself. frustrated he tried to move closer to her, but even while able to move, he found himself no closer to her, he just hurt himself in the process. the large gash on his arm continued to bleed, he held it, trying to prevent anymore bood loss, it was already beginning to make him light headed.

"DAMMIT" he clenched his fist feeling his nails dig into the palms of his hand, drawing blood. as the blood dripped down his arm and fingers, he looked though the barrier to the darkness surrounding them, and noticed it being sucked up through the barrier, diminishing into nothing. looking again at kagome he relaxed, remembering how she responded to his words earlier.

"is _she_ doing this?" he spoke to himself, changing his view to the pink glowing jewl as he noticed it move swiftly towards kagome. it plunged into her chest, forcing her to gasp as she opend her eyes looking into inuyashas. the barrier suddenly dissapeared, as had the darkness. they both began to fall to the ground, but inuyasha interfered taking hold of kagome and landing to his knees on the ground beneith them.

he looked up above them, it was bright again, as before the battle, with the sun high in the sky shining down on them, the air smelt fresh too, free of demonic auras. he glanced down to kagome lying peacefully in his arm, he could see the jewl still shining through her chest. although a little shakey, she started to move placing a hand on inuyashas wound.

"we.. we did it inuyasha" she smiled at him her eyes like pools, in the light. he smiled back at her, and without even realising what he was doing, he tilted his head moving in close to her, kissing her softley on the lips.

she embraced the soft warmth of his lips as they gentley caressed her own. too overwhelmed to move, she lay in his arms in complete bliss, over the current situation and at the fact that all her dreams had finally come true.

after he pulled away, she breifly glanced at his lips then into his eyes, "i've always loved you too, inuyasha"

he smiled, watching her giggle as she blushed at her own words. a new happiness overcame him, as he realised he had finally opened up his heart once again. opened himself up to another, hoping, in return that they would open up to him. every person he had ever given his love to, had left him, all alone. his heart couldnt handle it again, but at the same time couldnt handle the loneliness. kagome made him once again vulnerable to pain, but this time gave him her own heart to protect him from it.

with his free hand he brushed the strands of hair covering her face behind her ear, then moved his hand down and around to clasp her neck. she smiled peacfully leaning into his hold, as he moved into a more comfortable position, crossing his legs, kagome still lying in his lap.

"stupid girl... you almost got yourself killed because of me" he ran his finger over a small cut on her forehead.

her nose crinkled a little, in disaprovement playfully, as she looked down at the still bleeding gash on his arm, "looks more like the other way around to me"

he huffed turning his head, and staring off into the distance, " keh, thats nothing"

kagome smile grew even larger, this was the inuyash she loved, and now she knew he loved her too. she giggled wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling her face into his body.

he sighed, resting his head on hers as he smoothed out her hair which rested on his arm. it was finally over, everything they had worked for up to this point, he could finally relax, and finally start to recover. and _this_, he thought, he could definetly get used to.

not a second after the realisation of his current contentment, the warmth of kagomes skin he felt minutes earlier, rapidly made itself felt for the second time. quickly opening his resting eyes he watched as the glow of the shikon jewl spread through kagomes body, he tried to hold onto her, but failed, as she slowly dissapeared from his arms.


	2. Prologue Two

**Title: **_converging fate and time_

**Author:**_ ilovemilknhoney_

**Prologue Two; **_haruko, the first born and the second son_

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he bared his fangs as he turned to look at the man staring at him with cold eyes through the window in the house next to him. he clenched his fists, he was terrified for him, not for himself, and he knew it.

"I SAID I CAN HANDLE IT HARUKO" he yelled turning his back to him, eyes searching for the demon he should have killed by now. a growl formed in his throat, he could smell it thats for sure, but seeing it in this drakness would be usless now it knows hes capable. he stepped closer to the sent hoping to catch sounds of movement in the wind, as to reveal its hididng place. but it was still too quite. haruko would have killed it by now, maybe thats why he was so anxious, he was scared he was weak. his growl grew more harsh as he took another step closer.

_yes, haruko would have killed it by now, swiftly and easily_. he told himself, while possily lowering his self confidence for a fraction, he became irritated at the thought of relying on his older brother to kill for him. _i dont need him, _he confirmed, finding a new motivation for himself and using it as new strenghth. anticipation of the attack pulsed though his body, as he grinned cunningly at the freedom the senses of his current form gave him.

his ears twitched as he turned to see movement in the bushes a few metres away from him. "got you now.." he muttered under his breath continuing to grin. without a second thought he lepped out into the air, claws flexed out and tensed, as he carelessly headed with reckless speed towards the ominous dark aura he could now feel. attempting to attack the demon he clawed at the aura through the bushes, watching the leaves shread into pieces though his hands.

"DAMNIT" he cursed realising it escaped him. he turned to once again locate the domonic aura, but was instead flung from his position, down through his height to the floor, having been blown agressivly in the stomache.

he opened his eyes, as he layed flat outstreatched on the dirty ground beneith him looking up at the night sky, trying to take in a breath. but he couldnt. he tried again, but still no air. he paniced, sitting up from the floor holding his chest, breathing for his life. he coughed choking up some air as he recovered, wiping his mouth with his fisted hand. the demon had winded him, but at least it hadnt drawn any blood.

"THAT ALL YOU GOT?" he yelled arogantly, as he held back the pain in his chest, standing up off the ground. he could sense it so strongly now, he knew exactly where the demon was. spitting at the ground, he stared at the black shadowed figure on the roof of his house. its red eyes flashed in the dark as it turned, jumping off the side of the roof. his sensitive hearing enabled him to hear the demon land on its four feet and pace into the middle of the street. he didnt waste anytime running around the house, and instead, jumped on the roof of the house, lepped into the air and landed on the street beside the demon.

his short white blonde hair glisened in the moonlight, as it brushed passed his face from the slight breeze. he could clearly see the demon now, and he realised how pathetic it looked in comparosin to other demons haruko had killed. the thought that he was having trouble killing a demon not even considered a threat for his brother, furiated him more. he lifted his nose in the air taking in the stronge set across from him, as he tried to characterise its features. it was definetly a greed spirit, a common demon in this modern world, he huffed. he had seen haruko kill these demons many times, and he had told him once that they feasted on the selfish desires of humans.

his father had taught haruko as much as he could about their fate as half breads, and he had learned everything he knew from his brother. he was still only a young child when his father sacrificed himself to save his mother, so they now they lived alone. actulally, _he_ pretty much lived alone. haruko was rarley at the house, always off on his own. he didnt have any idea what his brother was doing while he was gone, but put that aside and depended only on himself.

from the minimal facts haruko had told him, he knew only, that demons inhabited the earth, and that they were unrecognisable to humans. he himself, and his brother were decendants from a long line of half breeds. half human, half demon, and stories of their powerful ansestor who travelled with a miko from the future was passed drown through the generations. other then that, everything he knew about demons and their nature, he learnt by watching haruko kill. haruko was a good five years older then he, and now as a young adolecent, haruko decided he was old enough to kill his first demon. probably so he could leave for good, _not needing to protect me_, he thought.

he clenched his fist again pacing the demon. _good, i dont need him_.

"WHY DONT YOU RUN OFF LIKE YOU ALWAYS DO?" he shouted to his brother, who was now standing at the front door of the house.

"..run? me? not likly little brother, i find it difficult to understand how you could place such alogations on my name.." his deep voice spoke calmly, and he seemed almost amused, which was a rare occasion, for his expressionless face.

before he could respond the length of the demons fore-arm expanded jabbing at him before he dodged it tiliting to the side. quickly, he took the chance to attack and ran his claws through the extended arm of the demon, slicing it off. the crying screech of the demon filled the air, as he attempted to cover his ears to muffle the loud sound which hurt his sensitive hearing.

he saw his brother flinch at the sound also, pulling out his sword as if ready to finnish it off.

"..shut it up, or i will.."

he didnt hesitate, _this was his kill, his first kill, not his brothers_. he grabbed the half cut arm using it as momentum to thrust himslef more powerfully onto the demon as he kicked it, pushing it towards the floor. he stood up on its front slashing his claws threw it almost tearing the demon in half. he landed on the floor next to the dead carcus as it began to disintergrate into the air.

_well.. that wasnt too hard after all,_ he comforted himself kneeling on the ground staring at his blood drenched hands.

"little brother, maybe it is now that you are not so little?" haruko approached him, as he lost the sound of his heart beat, his senses once again beginning to dissapear. like wrapping a thick blanket around himself blinding him from the world, he was now just like any other human, weak.

ignoring harukos question, he stood up in front of him, with the two again looking very similar, in their _other_ form, "where are you going? you could tell me that at least"

"to find the shikon no tama" he spoke before turning away and walking off along the path under the street lights

he stood there for a moment watching as his older brothers figure dissapeard into the distance, before rubbing his sore shoulder with his hand and sitting on the side of the street. he wasnt comming back anytime soon, and he knew it. he looked out into the night thinking about harukos last words, "what the hell is the shikon no tama?"


	3. Chapter One

**Title: **_converging fate and time_

**Author: **_ilovemilknhoney_

**Chapter One; **_kagomes feelings, and the boy who brings her new ones_

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memories echoed though kagomes mind as she plunged her head under the steaming water, then once again brought it out gasping for air. pushing her dripping hair back out of her face, she rested her head on the edge of the tub, closing her eyes. her thoughts began to drift to one of the last outings she had with her friends, as she decided nothing had really changed since she finished her last year of school almost a month ago.

_"kagome? hellooo?" yuka frantically waved her hand infront of kagomes face trying to shake her silence from the convorsation. kagome jumped a little as she broke her thoughts and turned, trying to force all of her attention to her friends._

_"so how did you guys do in that last exam?" she initiated a convorsation, as if her silence was nothing more then contemplating over maths questions. _

_"it was a snap! dont ya think?" ayume clasped her hands together and pushed them into her chest, kagome sighed as she took a sip from her shake, it was typical of ayumi to find the hardest exam of the semester a snap. yuka and eris heads flung down in aspiration, obviously not very confident whith their efforts._

_"ill be lucky to pass this time" yuka shamefully covered her eyes with her face as she finished the last chip from the large box they decided to share. they would all get together after school like this often now, with kagome previously spending so much time in the past, she was happy she could now spend more time catching up with her friends, even if it was hard for her._

_"luck wont help me" eri grasped her partner in failures hand, as they hung their heads together in dismay._

_"well ill definetly do better then last year!" kagome smiled at the girls, feeling self-assured that she aced this one for sure. _

_"i guess its because i havnt been missing out on so much school" she mentally hit herself at that last remark, knowing it would bring insentive for them to ask questions._

_there was an obviously awkward slience as they all avoided looking at her. kagome had been so much more distant since she reterned from the feudal era and she knew that they all suspected her sudden attendance as having something to do with her attitude. but, she chose to ignored them, looking out the window into the distance, slowly returning to her earlier silence. she really did love her friend and hated being this way, but there were so many things she had left undone in the past. so many goodbyes left unsaid and so many memories left circeling her mind. then there was inuyasha._

_"i bet its boy troubles" yuri lifted her head and rested it in the palm of her hand, realising kagomes temprement once again. kagome flinched turning to face them, they all looked interested now, realising this had some effect on her state. _

_"did you and your boyfriend broke up again, kagome?" eri began as they all stared at her with bulging eyes waiting for a response._

_"i guess you could say that" surprised at herself, kagome struggled to fight back tears, not realsing just mentioning him would efftet her that much. they all realised this topic was sensitive to touch, and yuri placed her hand on kagomes shoulder to attempt to calm her tears._

_"we are all here for you kagome", they looked up at her with such compassion, such sympathy, with such a willingness to help, and it was just too overwhelming for her. she was too emotionasl right now, and she didnt want them to see her cry. so, she stood up from her seat wiping her tears away as she made her way for the exit... _

durning her last few years of school, kagome had become more and more dis-attatched from reality, always appearing to be in her own world. consequently to her withdrawal from her surroundings, she eventually stopped leaving the house for tasks such as food shopping or even going out with friends. she wasnt scared, and it didnt make her depressed, she just prefered it that way and enjoyed her own company. infact, knowing herself better then what could be thought possible, she was well aware that deep down she was still the same person.

but, with her radient new health and her excelent progress in school, now that she was attending more classes, it took people a while to realise she was so unhappy. subsequently, having her final warring era incedent during high school, didnt exactly make life easy for the girl. the pain it brought her, changed her, and she new that, but it didnt seem to matter. the thruth was kagome had never felt more torn. she was striving for something she would never reach, wanting something she could never have, and while her grades where better then ever, she was dying inside. she new people talked about her, and even as her friends became worried about her change in attitude, she still couldnt open up to them to let them help her heal.

_... "can you believe kagome got top of the class for the maths examination?"_

_"shes so far ahead! isnt it amazing!"_

_"how does she do it? she was pratically failing last semester"_

_"kagome is exeling in everything! its so unfair"_

_"she spends so much more time at school now too, its so great shes not sick anymore"_

_"have you noticed how quite shes been? she must be really determined to catch up, since she missed so many classes" _

_"maybe the pressure of exams is getting to her?"_

_"no she cant come out this weekend she has shrine duties"_

_"i thought she was ignroing me but as she continued to stare i saw tears in her eyes"_

_"i dont think she likes me anymore, she dosnt talk to me like she used to"_

_"shes changed"_

_"shes a different person"_

_"i hope shes okay" ..._

"ARRHHHGGGGG" spilling water over the side, she sat up in the bath all at once, with an extreamly frustrated expression covering her face.

"damn" she muttered under her breath, cursing wasnt something kagome took pride in doing, but this was beyond pissing her off. it had been over two years since she left all her friends behind in the well, two years of her ignoring her friends and commiting to a life of lonliness, but she still couldnt move on. she still couldnt stop agonising over the actions she took, or what would have happend if she expressed things she didnt have the courage to say. could things have turned out better?

she shook her head, trying to calm herself a little, as she lifted her leg to rest it on her knee as she cleaned it with same soap, before returning it back into the water. bathing was something kagome loved doing, and did frequently. it left her feeling renewd, and replinished. she looked up at the misty roof, the moonlight shining in through the small window above her, and decided she had been so far from her true self for too long.

"tomorrow, i start living again"

_the darkness was now so over powering, kagome could hardly see. she covered her face with her hands as the fierce wind blew up, and around her, until she was lifted off the ground. her heart pounded, she was too scared to open her eyes, she couldnt do it, her spiritual powers werent strong enough. her hair blew all around her, almost hurting through the force of the wind, tears bearly escaping from her eyes._

_"INUYASHA" she screamed, tears now flowing freely. she waited for an answer, but he didnt answer._

_she screamed again "INUYASHA!", but she was alone. crying, her body felt numb from the pain, from the loneliness. she moved her arms around her legs, crawling into a ball, not daring to open her eyes. she never wanted to open her eyes again._

_"..ka..kagome"_

_that voice. the sent of fowledge slowly drifted through the now suddnly warm air and to her nose, as she felt her hair drop beside her, like the wind had just dissapeared. but her heart was still in pain, she wouldnt open her eyes. she could hear herself crying, weeping, the more she cried the more it seemed to hurt. _

_"INUYASHA DONT LEAVE ME" she cried out between her sobs. the air grew hot like a rising sun just touching her skin, as she felt a presence with her. still hinding from the world around her she wept, as she suddenly felt a warm breathe near her ear._

_"i'll never let you go kagome" _

_she quickly removed her arms of her head, lifting it and opening her eyes. it was morning, the darkness had gone and she was kneeling under the god tree. _

_"inu, inuyasha are you here?" _

kagome sniffled waking up early as usual, before she groaned, initiating her typical rutine of distress as her dreams unsettled her. rubbing her eyes to rid herself of her sleepiness, she looked out the window to estimate the time. it was still relativley dark out, irritated she turned over on her other side pulling her covers over her head, pretending she had never really woken up, while snuggling into her pillow. kagome tried to clear her mind of all thoughts, mentally batelling with herself for a while, but stopped, realising her efforts where usless.

she had always enjoyed sleeping, it replenished her, kept her sane. now she despised it, no matter what the circumstances, whatever time she chose to go to sleep, she would always wake up before the sun would show itself. she moped, her long hair falling in front of her face as she worked up the strength to move out of bed.

stepping over the crap that coverd the floor of her bedroom, she almost tripped flat on her face over a history book, but somehow skillfully managed to grip the end of her dressing table. she let out a deep breath, mumbling at her stupid behaviour as she pulled herself up to view herself in the mirror.

"it looks like ive been sleeping for a thousand years", she commented trying to flatten her messy hair with her hands. sighing, she turned around leaning against her dressing table, with one leg hooked up against an open draw, as she stretched her arms out in front of her.

"well.. if im going to wake up this early every morning, then ill make use of it" she demanded from herself, as she hopped into her slippers and made her way down stairs. she could, she decided, at the very least try be a little useful. it was the beggining of a new year after all, the bussiest time of the year for the shine, and there was lots to do around the place, in which she was expected to help.

"everyone's still asleep" she wispered to herself, as she turned towards the kitched deciding she could save her mom the trouble of making breakfast. she knelt down opening a bottom cupboard to search for a chopping board, when she was startled by a cool breeze which blew through an open door over the opposite side of the room. she stood up, crossed her hands over her chest as she rubbed the goosebumps away from her arms.

"grandpa?" she called out but there was no reply.

walking over through the breeze as it blew her long hair past her face, she leaned on the sides of the door peering her head through the opening, but she couldnt see anyone.

"how strange" she spoke to herself, as she walked slowly outside though the door, checking the area around it. seeing the well in view she turned away painfully staring at her feet. avoiding it, she moved quickly in the opposite direction, around the side of the shine to further investigate.

as she continued the sun began to light up the sky, creating shadowed patterns on the roof of the shrine. she began to hum, as the fresh sent of the fowledge of the god tree, drew her into its presence. looking up admiring the tree she smiled, even though the well somehow made her depressed, the god tree was different. this was the first place she met him, and that was enough to make her happy.

"who are you?"

she jumped not realising there was anyone with her. his voice was husky but familiar. turning to see where the voice was comming from, the sun peering over the roof of the shrine glared her view, and even while placing a hand above her eyes, she could only just make out a figure.

"im kagome, i happen to live here" she didnt particulally feel like being polite to whoever it was, she had a bad sleep, it was way too early, and she was in her pyjamas.

he moved standing on the bench under the god tree, looking up into the leaves. his hands were likley crossed over his chest, but she could still only see the back of his body. she squinted trying to make out who it was in the sunlight, he looked like someone she knew, thats for sure. he was wearing baggy dark grey pants, so long that the bottem of them bunched up under his white shoes, and a fitted white shirt hanging out over his belt. his hair was such a light shade of blonde it was almost white, it was short and scruffy, and it looked like he hadnt attempted to brushed it in a while.

"kagome, hey?" he moved his hand onto his chin as if he was thinking, and continued to stare up into the leave of the tree.

"so_ this _is the god tree... not too impressive" he smiled crossing his arms again as the slight breeze, now diminishing, blew his hair. although irritated by his arrogance, in insulting her tree, she chose to ignore him.

"what are you doing here?" it was about six in ther morning after all and kagome was curious.

"some old man hired me for extra help, said he lived here, i didnt no there would be anyone else" he tilted his head to the side, as kagome looked at the sky again watching the sun start to rise higher, removing the glare and exposing more daytime light.

he spoke to her again, his back still facing her, as kagome observed his body language which seemed so recognizable to her, "so where the hell is the old man? he tells me to get here early and then hes not even up himself?"

expecting an answer from her he turned to look at her, as kagome looked at him, unable to understand who he was. she looked into his face as his eyes peered into hers.

_gold_, his eyes were gold just like inuyashas. not able to believe what she was seeing, she gasped, her hand covering her mouth.

she noticed him staring at her, confusion written all over his face. he jumped off the bench in front of her, bending down looking into her face.

"whats with you, girl?" he put his hand under her chin as he concentrated his eyes on her, trying to understand what was wrong with her.

"..your eyes..." kagome managed to spill out.

"what? something wrong with them?" he turned to the side puting his hands behind his head, looking pretty smug.

still unalble to speak, kagome stood motionless in the early morning light, her nighty flowing in the current drift, as the sun hit the toes at the end of her slippers, slowing warming them up.

"i was born like this okay? you dont have to be a bitch about it" he stuck his nose up in the air pretending not to care what she thought, but kagome could see him trying to see her reaction without turning his head.

realising his rudeness, or her rudeness, or the general rudeness of the convorsation, kagome tried to apologise without actulally having to apologise "i wasnt being a bitch... i just like your eyes, thats all.. they remind me of someone i knew"

he sighed sitting on the bench under the god tree, taking her compliment but not thanking her for it. "so you live here huh?" he acted as if he was thinking again, holding his chin with his thumb and index finger.

she decided to sit down next to him, feeling a little more comfortable, kicking her legs freely back and forth as she stared at her feet. "yeah with my grandpa, mom and little brother"

he turned his head slighlty, looking her up and down as if inspecting her, "hmmmm"

"what?" kagome blushed quickly standing up, forgetting she was in her pyjamas. she felt exposed. but he didnt seem to care, and cotinued to check her out.

"im here for the next two weeks, so you wonna give me a tour of the place or something?" he got up, and as if already expecting her to say yes began to walk around the shrine. he was a good head and a bit taller then her, kagome observed, as she watched him walk, hands casually in his pockets. she contemplated wether or not to get changed, but she tried to assure herself that it didnt really matter what he thought of her anyway.

"..i supose" she humphed in a delayed response to his earlier question, reasling he had already walked out of sight.

in an attempt to catch up to him she walked in his direction. confused that she still couldnt see him, she started to increase her pace, walking faster. then, still having not caught up to him, she changed to a slow jog, before realising she had almost fully crossed the back of the shrine. she bent down resting her hands on her knees as she puffed lightly.

"OI DOWN HERE KAGOME", still resting on her knees, she turned her head in the direction of the well to trace the voice. _it cant be,_ the voice sounded so familiar. she closed her eyes trying to match it to the voice in her dreams. _was he calling to her from the well?_

"YOU COMMING OR WHAT KAGOME?", she opend them again trying to snap back to reality, _its just in your head kagome_, she tried to convince herself.

setting aside her fears, she headed towards the well which she hadent been in for over a year. "IM COMMING ALREADY", she ran to the door, gripping both sides with her hands as she peered though, her eyes adjusting to the apparent darkness.

".. maybe if you didnt run so far ahea-" she stopped, as in the darkness she spotted two legs kicking out of the opening in the well.

holding her breath she moved further down the stairs into the darkness. as she stood off the last step, she spoted the lid of the well on the floor beside her. she took a step closer.

"inuyasha..?" the words drifted softly off her lips, with her imagination taking over common sense.

"kagome is that you?" her eyes adapted allowing her to see the figure leaning over into the well, half in, half out.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING" in a rage, kagome grabed his legs attempting to pull him back, instead causing him to lose his balance, tripping her up and falling over the side. not letting go, kagome held onto his legs tightly trying to stop him, but rather followed in after him.

"YOU STUPID GIRL" he screamed at her, covering his head with his arms as she squeezed her eyes shut, bringing him down faster. certain that they would both break something, they were equally stunned to suddenly stop falling in mid air.

"that was a close one" he wispered to himself, looking straight to the bottom, his face was only two feet away from being smashed into the well floor. turning his head slowly, trying to make the least amount of movement, he glanced up at kagome, who was still holding on to his waist. her eyes were closed, and he could see her foot caught on the edge of the well, as he tried to ignore her nighty which had fallen exposing most of her body.

he spoke slowly and camly, "kagome.. pleases dont..", at the sound of his voice kagome opend her eyes, looking down at the boy she had her arms wrapped around.

"AHHHHHH" she screamed, feeling peverted at her own actions. taking her hands off him as fast as she could, she not only dropped him, but caused herself to lose grip on the well, sending them both to the bottom together.

"FUCK", he cursed bracing himself for the drop, hitting the bottem and then breaking kagomes fall shortly after.

being less injured, kagome was the first to move slapping the boy across the cheek, "JUST WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING"

he moved his hand rubbing the spot she had slapped him, unable to do anything else, as she lay flat ontop of him.

"ah, would you mind getting off?" he motioned her with his eyes. blushing, she got off him, almost as quick as she had let go of him.

"GRRRRRRAAAAANNNNNNDDDPPPAAAAA!" she screamed at the top of her lungs desperate to get out. not only was she upset that nothing happend when she fell through the well, but the fact that she was stuck down there with the idiot who made her fall, was unbarable for her.

not hearing any reply, she fisted her hands at the side of her body in anger, turning to face the boy "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT YOU KNOW!"

he stood up off the floor brushing the dust off himself, obviously as irritated as she was "HEY WHAT ARE YOU BLAMING ME FOR, IF YOU DIDNT PUSH ME IN HERE, THIS WOULDNT HAVE HAPPEND"

"PUSH YOU? I STOPED YOU FROM FALLING IN, BUT IF YOU DIDNT RUN OFF IN HERE TO START WITH, I WOULDNT HAVE NEEDED TO" she wasnt going to lose this without a fight.

"WELL IF YOU DIDNT DROP ME WHEN WE HAD A CHANCE OF GETTING OUT, YOU WOULDNT HAVE FALLEN ON TOP OF ME"

fuming, kagome was about to slap him again, before her grandpas head appeared at the top of the well. "oh i see you've met jiro, kagome!"

jiro grined at the old man waving, while kagome just closed her eyes crossing her arms with her back to him "JERK!"

**A/Notes: **_okay so i dont really like this chapter, i really needed to work on it some more, but what can i say? im lazy! plus i want to write more chapters and get more into the stroy, so it will have to do!_

_this is my first fanfic ever, so please write reviews so i no if its worth writing more chapters or not! (ive already pretty much finished chapters 2 and 3)thanks! hope you enjoy!_


	4. Chapter Two

okay! im gonna give a brief summery of whats really happening in this fic, considering it might be a little confusing right now (sorry it made sense in my head).

so... kagome cant travel to the past anymore, as they successfully defeated naraku and completed the shikon no tama. but, (lets say a few years later) kagome realizes she is still finding it difficult to move on. now, as she is finally staring to 'live again' she meets jiro, who surprisingly has similar characteristics to inuyasha. kagome however, hasnt seen inuyasha in a long time so is confused of what to think of him.

what i was trying to show in prologue two, is that jiro is a half demon of kagomes time. so then im hoping you might be able to guess who jiro could possibly be a reincarnation of?

anyway!

EternalAffliction; thanks you so much for your reviews! they are very much appreciated, really! and im so glad you like my story (yay)

InuGirl4ever; im so happy you like the chapter:P and thanks heaps for your review!

**Converging Fate and Time**

**Chapter Three: **_all work and some play_

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"ARRRRGH YOUR SO RUDE"

"LOOOOOK WHOS TALKING NOW?"

"AHHH! JERK!"

"BITCH"

"JERK"

"BITCH"

"I HATE YOU JIRO!" kagome stormed off up to her bedroom, her face flustered and throat tingling from strain.

"YOUR NOT EXACTLEY MY FAVOURITE PERSON EITHER KAGOME", he yelled up the stairs, back at her before she slammed her door. he liked to get the last word, and he felt confident in his job yet again this time, placing his hands behind his head as he nodded at souta with a mischievous grin.

"i cant put my finger on it, but you two fighting like this seems so familiar" souta sighed, as he sat on the floor continuing to tie string around each mantra, out of a huge box of mantras his grandpa had made. he was planning for a big season this year so made extra, for souta to organize.

"you got it easy kid", jiro rubbed the top of his head, as he gazed out to the porch, the floor, and checked out all the windows he was required to scrub clean. kagome was supposed to assist him, but now he would have to do it all himself.

"hmmm, maybe i should go apologies to kagome" he scratched the back of his head, contemplating his earlier actions.

souta looked up at him, "you should wait a few hours at least, you made her really mad"

"a few hours?" he stared at souta in astonishment, before picking up a pair of gloves from the bucket next to him, struggling to put them on.

"shit... women are useless" he smirked to himself heading outside dragging the bucket along the floor, with the mop which sat inside it, almost tipping it over when he reached the edge of the door. turning his head he saw the soap still sitting on the porch next to the tap where he left it the day before, cleaning the store room wasnt pretty, and he had used up almost all the soap. wondering if what he had left would be enough to mop the floors, he moved the bucked under the tap, turning it on, while squeezing as much of the soap as possible, into the bucket. he pushed his hair back out of his face, walking over to lean on the wooden guards along the porch.

"damn, its hot already" he muttered to himself, looking out into the sun and seeing it already high in the sky. he was starting work late, so he would need to work fast if he wanted to get this finished today. he moved over to turn the tap off before the bucket overflowed, as kagomes grandpa walked out the door.

"have you see kagome, jiro?" buyo was clawing into his leg as he walked up to him trying to shake him off.

"shes up in her room, i pissed her off again" he concentrated on his mopping, not allowing the old man to see him slightly ashamed of his attitude. he didnt really mean to hurt her, its just the way he was, and she was so easy to set off.

"well, give her a few hours then", jiro raised his eyebrow at the comment, remembering what souta said earlier, as he continued, "just remember tours start tomorrow, and you both havnt stopped arguing all week, get a hold of your mouth boy!" he bonked jiro on the head emphasizing his point.

"yeah yeah i get it old man", he again turned to concentrate on his mopping, while grandpa, still trying to shake the cat off his leg, walked back into the house.

grandpa never understood jiros interest in working at the shrine, the only reason he even considered hiring him was because he insisted on working for free. strange enough as this was, he seemed to know surpassing amounts of history about the shrine. but, jiro also asserted on this information being anonymous, whatever reason for, it didnt seem to bother grandpa. to him the boy seemed genuine, and anyway, despite his rudeness, he was a good worker. grandpa also considered jiros knowledge about the shine to be a useful contribution to the business. tours are a very important part of what they provide at the shine after all, and as grandpa is not always available, himself and kagome would usually work together to undertake this position. even so, kagome didnt want to spend her whole holidays playing tour guide, thus they were not very frequent. thats when grandpa came up with the idea of kagome and jiro collaborating together to administer tour services, while he would fill in what they couldnt handle. to him the plan was fool proof, until kagome displayed her dislike of him.

lying on her bed, kagomes curtains blew in the breeze that drifted through her bedroom window. turning over onto her side, she pushed her hair over her ear out of her face, as she wondered how long she had fallen asleep for.

"what?" she questioned, as she hoped out of bed walking to her window, shocked that it was already dark. _how long did i sleep for? _she had so many chores to do before the shrine opened, why didnt anyone wake her up? deciding it didnt really bother her, and feeling somewhat energized she walked over to her mirror, tilting her head as she looked at her reflection.

"now _that_ looks like the kagome i know" she looked relaxed, more replenished. she realized how peaceful her sleep was, it was a sleep she felt she hadnt had in years. _but why now? _she remembered how much jiro agrivated her, but it somehow made her smile. after fixing her hair, she skipped happily down the stairs towards the kitchen, she hadent eaten all day and her stomach was grumbling. humming quietly to herself, as she stepped off the last step onto the floor, wearing only socks, she slipped quite gracefully, lading on her side on the hard floor.

"oouuuch" she sat up rubbing her now sore elbow, realizing the floor was wet as it soaked through her skirt.

"sorry kagome, i would have told you it was wet, but i didnt notice you coming down" jiro bent down offering a hand to kagome, but she couldnt help but blush at his half undone shirt, and her obvious clumsiness.

"thanks" she said as she placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her off the ground. standing up she moved both her arms behind her back, about to comment on how long she slept, until she noticed how clean the shrine was, it was spotless. the floor, each window, the lounge, everything. all her chores had been done.

"di..did.. you do all this?" looking at him stunned, he chuckled at her as he rubbed the back of his neck with one of his hands.

"yeah well, i didnt see any point in waking you up, i had enough time to finish it all on my own" he picked up the broom which was leaning against the wall and headed to the laundry to put it away.

kagome didnt really no what to say, but she slowly followed after him anyway, "i would thank you, but i havnt decided if im still mad at you or not" she held one of her pinkies with her hand behind her back, still admiring how clean the shrine was.

"who said im still not pissed off with you, anyway? i wouldnt say i_ like _being called a jerk" he walked back out of the laundry with his hands in his pockets.

"well maybe if you didnt act like one i wouldnt have to call you one!" irritated that she was trying to be nice but he continued to argue, she didnt allow him any time to respond as she quickly walked off towards the kitchen, almost slipping again, as she grabbed onto bench beside her.

while getting up straight, she looked around noticing that even the kitchen was spotless, she sniffed the air, she liked the smell of things being clean. feeling hungry and frustrated, she went to open the fridge before her eyes caught a note on the table. _kagome, food for you in the fridge if you wake up, some there for jiro too if hes still here, love mom._ kagome looked at the clock, it was past eight, everyone must have gone to bed for the early opening tomorrow.

she walked carefully, as to not fall over again, to the entrance of the kitchen hanging off the side of the door, "HEY JIRO!" she called out but couldnt see him anywhere

"WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW?", the voice was coming from outside.

"YOU HUNGRY?"

"WHAT YOU GOT?"

"WHATEVER MOM COOKED"

as she saw him walk back into the house, she took that as a yes and headed back over to the fridge, opening it to take out the two plates her mom had prepared. she put one on the bench as she put the other in the microwave.

jiro enter the room and pulled out a seat from the table in front of him. he sat down with his arms crossed over his chest, looking quite interested in observing her as she prepared the food.

"so kagome, you slept long enough. either i really pissed you off, or you havnt had a descent sleep in a while?" kagome looked over at him thinking about how to answer the question, realizing he might possibly be trying to have a normal conversation with her.

"i guess you could say a little bit of both", she handed him the plate from the microwave while placing her own in and setting the time.

"well then you shouldnt be mad at me anymore", he bent his head over the food smelling it as the steam rose from the plate.

kagome was a bit confused, "and why do you say that?"

"because me pissing you off, allowed you to have a good days sleep, and i DID do all your work for you", there was a pause, while she contemplated his statement. but before she could respond, he looked up at her swallowing his food as if getting ready to continue.

"and, you did look like you needed it" his face was oblivious, obviously not realizing the damage of them comment, he picked up his fork shoveling more food into his mouth.

"ohh! jerk!" once again irritated, kagome turned around opening the microwave to take out her plate.

"OUUUUCCCCCHHH" she screamed, taking her finger out of the microwave and shaking it madly in the air.

jiro jumped out of his seat, "what? what the hell did you do now?" he ran over to her swiftly sliding around the bench on the floor, taking hold of her wrist to stop her from shaking it.

"ooouuuch, it hurts" kagome whimpered, squeezing her eyes together as if to suppress the pain.

"dont be such a girl, its just a small burn" he put his face up to it inspecting it closely, before pulling her over to the tap running it under cold water.

"all better now little girl? or would you like me to kiss it?" he let go of her wrist putting his hands in his pockets, as he smirked waiting for her to respond.

she gave him a little shove with her hand across his chest, causing him to take a step back. "im not a little girl okay!"

"maybe if you didnt act like one i wouldnt have to call you one" he got her that time, got her good with her own insult.

"you enjoy this dont you?" kagome looked at him as if she was too mature for the argument, while still holding her finger under the tap.

"maybe just a little" he smiled at her, walking back to his food.

kagome humphed turning off the tap and picking up a towel to take her plate out of the microwave. she sat in the seat opposite him.

"tours start tomorrow.. " she thought she would remind him, even though he probably already knew.

"yeah" he answered stuffing the last bit of his food in his mouth, then pushing the plate to the side and sticking his hands behind his head "you as excited as i am?" his expression was sarcastic.

"oh thrilled" kagome returned the sarcasm.

"well the food was good" he rubbed his belly in satisfaction and turned to look at the clock, "its getting late i should probably head off, we start early tomorrow morning after all"

"ohhh no" kagome sighed, while picking at her food.

"what?" he looked at her confused as he got out of his chair.

"i slept all day, theres no way im going to be able to fall asleep tonight... ill be so tired in the morning". she went to the fridge taking out some orange juice and motioned at jiro to see if he wanted some.

he nodded and walked over to her, feeling a little responsible "so, you got any good video games then?"

she poured out the orange juice into two glasses that she got out from the top cupboard, "video games?"

"yeah, ill stay up with you for a while", kagome looked up at him from her glass, he was leaning on the bench next to her with one arm holding most of his weight and the other one holding his glass of juice. a little embarrassed she turned away so he wouldnt see her blush.

"we have a good racing one i think" she put the juice back in the fridge.

"bet i can kick your ass then" he grinned as he walked through the door into the lounge.

"your on!" she smiled secretly, knowing that this was the only game she could play, but at the same time the only game she was undefeated at in the household.

after putting all the dishes in the sink, she followed him into the lounge. looking over she saw he was sitting in front of the TV, one leg crossed and the other one bent up to support his elbow, his hand resting free adjacent to his chin. it was a position she was all to familiar with, but she ignored it. he looked over to her looking a little confused, she realized she was staring.

"are you alright?", she quickly looked away. the question, the voice, the posture. she held her breath, _inuyasha_. what was wrong with her? was she imagining it?

"kagome?", he asked again. she stopped thinking, put a smile on her face and walked down next to him.

"oh its nothing, im fine" she was practically glowing, making her cover up a little too obvious.

"well you gonna put the game on or what?" he insisted, resting his arms on the couch he was sitting in front of.

_ 1 HOUR LATER _

"HOW THE HELL DO YOU DO IT?" jiro was getting really worked up

"YOU WIN EVERY SINGLE TIME, I JUST CANT BEAT YOU" he sat up on the couch in frustration

"i told you already im undefeated at this game" she was getting really bored with playing the same game over and over, and a little scared too, with each new game, he got closer and closer to beating her.

"how bout we play a different game for a while" not wanting to give away her title on that particular game away, she thought he might settle if he won in another game.

"yeah i spose" he let out a deep breath, as if letting out his frustration, and crawled over to the cabinet under the TV where the video games were.

"how bout this one?" he held up a fighting game that kagome had never played before.

"sure" she didnt hesitate, she new she would lose.

_ 5MIN LATER _

"you really suck at this game" he sighed, he had already beaten her so many times, but it didnt seem satisfying.

"well its my first time playing it" she complained

"its my first time too, kagome" he protested, then glanced back over at the racing game lying on the floor. but kagome caught his eyes.

"NO! im not playing that again" she refused, dropping the control she was holding on the floor, and crossing her arms.

he sighed, "okay then ill just have to teach you how to play properly", he moved over to kagome picking up her control off the floor and putting it in her lap before taking a seat next to her.

_ AGAIN, 1 HOUR LATER _

he looked over at kagome, smiling, as she yawned once again. after failing to teach her to play the game by fighting her, they decided the only way she was going to learn was to watch him. he knew it would bore her, so continued to play, as level after level she grew more bored.

by the time he reached the last level, he was falling asleep himself.

"hey kagome?", there was no reply. he turned to look at her sleeping peacefully on the couch, her hands were under her head creating a pillow, and strands of her long hair fell in front of her face. he walked over to her and pushed her hair back behind her ear, then turned back to the TV to turn it off.

"goodnight kagome" he looked at her one last time, as he put his hands in his pockets and walked out the door.

_"inuyasha", she breathed calmly in content, they were surrounded by evil, surrounded by danger, but she was with him. in his embrace she felt nothing could hurt her. she tightened her grip around his body, as he lightly kissed the top of her head. she was desperate, desperate to not let him go. she hated the thought of being without him. _

_"DONT BE STUPID KAGOME", he pushed her away as he paced around her. they were no longer surrounded by any demonic auras, but in a village. she looked around, it was early morning and they were standing outside a small hut. she lifted her hands to her head trying to take away the strain. there was so much going through her head, she was so confused._

_"WHY WOULD YOU THINK SOMETHING LIKE THAT?", inuyasha was yelling at her, she felt tears trying to breakout, but she tried as hard as she could to hold them back._

_"what inuyasha, think what?", she was so scared, so vulnerable so lost, she couldnt handle him yelling at her._

_her knees started to shake as she almost fell to the ground, but inuyasha grabbed her waist supporting her. his expression was completely different to a second ago, he looked happy. kagome looked into his eyes, he looked like he did before they last parted._

_he repeated himself, but softly this time brushing her hair from her face "kagome, how could you think that?" _

_he held her tightly, as he lifted his hand to her chin tilting her head and kissing her softly on the forehead. she closed her eyes, breathing easier as her head cleared, then slowly opened them again, to look into his. expecting the light of the sun to be reflecting his golden eyes, she was shocked as they were instead hinted with a shade of the night sky. she looked above her at the full moon, then back down. gasping, as she tried to step back from the person who now had his arms around her._

_"JIRO!"_

_but he wouldnt let her part from him, he pulled her in closer, looked into her eyes then moved his mouth up to hers._

_"how could you think i would ever leave you kagome?"_

kagome woke up in shock, sitting up in her bed. well, at least she thought in her bed until she looked around realizing she had fallen asleep on the couch. she let out a deep breath, trying to calm herself, her heart was racing. she lied down again resting on her side, _that dream._

"kagome? are you up?" her mom was calling to her from the kitchen, she looked over the top of the couch realizing everyone was already up, running around getting ready to open the shrine.

"yeah mom, sorry i slept in" she sat up on the couch stretching her feet before she got up and headed up the stairs to take a shower.

"be quick kagome! you only have an hour until you start", her mom popped her head around the door calling up to her.

"yeah i will" she called back down as she closed the bathroom door, taking her clothes off, and turning on the tap to the shower. she hadnt had a shower yesterday and she really felt she needed one. she liked showers, nice hot ones, they left her feeling untroubled. looking into the mirror contemplating whether or not to wash her hair, and deciding it would probably be best, she stepped into the shower, putting her head under and letting the hot water run down her face and back, over her shoulders then dribble down from her hands.

she washed her hair with a tropical shampoo, breathing in the sent, as she decided she liked it better then the last scented shampoo she used. quickly rinsing out her hair, she remembered she didnt have long to get ready, so she would need to be faster. turning off the tap and raping a towel around her she opened the door to quickly sneak to her bedroom to change.

"AHHHHHH, PERVERT!" she walked out of the bathroom, almost stepping on jiro, but before he had the time to say anything she slapped him across the face and ran to her room, slamming the door behind her. she leaned against the back of her door, flushed and slightly panting.

"couldnt have been better timing kagome" she talked to herself softly as she walked over to her closet getting out some clothes she thought were appropriate to wear.

"KAGOME, are you ready?" her grandpa knocked on her door, and kagome quickly opened plastering on a smile.

"wonderful!" her grandpa smiled back at her, with more natural enthusiasm "kagome you'll take the first group, and jiro will take the group starting shortly after you"

kagome saluted him in response "sure thing grandpa", he chuckled patting her shoulder as he walked over to soutas room, probably getting him to do some work too, kagome thought.

she fast walked down the stairs overlooking a few people walking around out the back of the shrine, as she headed to the front where she saw a group of about six people, not including a small child lying in his mothers arms, waiting together. walking out the door she noticed jiro leaning against the wall to the left of her, his eyes were closed, and he yawned putting his hand over his mouth. she thought about the night before, how long had he stayed up for her sake?

he opened one eye which was closest to her and looked at her up and down. kagome smiled at him before walking towards the group of people

"OKAY, CAN EVERYONE WHOS HERE FOR THE 8.00 TOUR PLEASE COME THIS WAY" kagome had done this many time before and new what she was doing. jiro watched, trying to pick up any details that he might not no about, which are required for tour guiding.

the six people, walked forward as kagome led them towards an old room which had a number of old antiques of her grandpas.

ONE HOUR LATER

kagome bowed "THANKYOU VERY MUCH FOR TAKING PART IN OUR SHRINE TOUR, WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN" she quickly turned around giving a sigh of relief as she took a sip from a water bottle her mom had left her on the front porch.

she walked around the shrine past the god tree where jiro was finishing up with his group, discussing the history of the tree. she sat on the porch distant enough, but still close enough to hear. he was standing on the bench, the same as when she first met him, and he seemed pretty enthusiastic about his story. being able to look at him without him looking at her, kagome observed him a little more, considering that past his immediate rudeness, he was in fact attractive. his almost white hair was scruffy, but not dirty, actually kagome notice that it even smelt nice. she took another sip from her water bottle as she realized he had finished and was heading over to her.

"that took longer then i thought" he grumbled sitting down next to her and motioning for her to pass the water bottle to him

"yep" she passed it to him, as she stared at the god tree thinking a little.

"hey jiro?.. how do you no so much about the shrine?" it never occurred to kagome before, but it seemed a little strange now. she watched him as he looked at the ground, throwing the water bottle from hand to hand as he thought about the question.

"umm my brother i guess" he didnt look at her in the face but continued to juggle the bottle

kagome turned to look at him, "you have a brother?"

"yeah. haruko, we dont exactly get along though" he threw the now empty water bottle in the bin behind them and got it in perfectly, before shifting to sit cross legged.

"how come?" she looked at him sympathetically, she didnt like it when family members didnt get along.

he smiled at her, "its complicated", she would have liked to ask more questions but they both noticed her grandpa coming over from the distance.

"JIRO!" he yelled, waddling in a hurry, "a bench in the store room has fallen off its brackets, theres stuff everywhere, all over the floor. could you fix it? its to heavy for me and my old bones"

jiro stood up rubbing his neck with his hand, "what would you do without me old man?" her grandpa let out a deep breath of exhaustion, ignoring him and waddling back into the house.

turning back to look at jiro, she saw he was already heading for the store room, so stood up and lightly jogged towards him to catch up.

"so you need a hand or what?" she walked through the door picking up an empty bottle and a bottle with something brown looking in it, deciding she really didnt want to no what it was, and looked over to him. he was holding the bench up on its side, getting ready to lift it back up on its brackets. the bench was huge, but thin, stretching from one end of the room to the other, she figured he would need a hand holding one end.

"just step back for a second kagome" he motioned his head, for her to step behind him, as he walked over to the center of the bench. he bent down putting his hands under the wood, turned his head behind him to confirm kagome wasnt in the way, then swiftly lifted it up and gently placed it on its bracket kagome was stunned.

"you can help now" he briefly looked at her before starting to pick all the equipment off the floor and placing it back on the bench. kagome followed his lead, not commenting on his apparent strength.

once the last bottle was sitting on the bench, she looked towards jiro, who was admiring his work.

"hey.."

"yeah what?" he turned to face her

"thanks for staying up with me last night"

walking up to her surprisingly close, his arms crossed over his chest. "well it was my fault you were up in the first place right?"

she nodded, a little nervous at his close presence, "but still, you didnt have to"

he moved his hands into his pockets as he walked out the room, keeping his back to her "dont mention it"

unintentionally, she followed after him, as she saw a new group of people waiting at the front of the shrine. she tried to motivate herself, but it still didnt take away the fact she would have another slow, boring hour ahead of her.

_ 1 HOUR AND 15MIN LATER _

"KAGOME" her mom was calling from the kitchen window. kagome had just finished her last tour and jogged up to the window.

"yeah mom?" the window was at eye level with her and she could see her mom through it, in the kitchen preparing lunch. she walked over to kagome with two plates in her hands.

"heres your lunch, give one to jiro would you? he should be just about finished" not waiting for kagome to reply, her mom walked back into the kitchen continuing to make sandwiches kagome let out a deep breath and walked over to the god tree where jiro would be finishing. she saw him still talking enthusiastically to the group of people, so sat on the grass under a tree a little distance away, and started eating her lunch. she smiled watching him, until he looked over to her, seeing her staring at him. she blushed, but knew it was to far away for him to notice.

"whats for lunch?" he walked over to her from the god tree and sat down next to her in front of his plate.

"sandwiches, just how you like it" she smiled nudging the plate closer to him. over the past week, her mom had made them so many sandwiches, so she knew what everyone liked.

they sat together eating as they soaked up the heat from sun, until the silence was broken by a large lantern, luckily not alight, which fell from the tree above them into kagomes lap. the shock made her flinch, and jiro laughed at her, getting up and picking the lantern up off of her. she sat with her arms crossed over her chest, not looking very happy.

"its not funny! that things petty heavy you know!", he continued to laugh, throwing the lantern a little distance from his hand then easily catching it again.

"what are you talking about? its light as a feather", she ignored his comment as he offered her a hand helping her up.

"i guess we should put it back up" he suggested staring up at the hook it had fallen off of. kagome joined him in looking up, but squinted slightly at the sun which was peering through the leaves.

"its way too high, even for you" she sat back down in defeat, finishing her sandwich. jiro moved his hand to his chin, thinking as he continued to look up at the tree.

"climb on my back kagome", he bent down in front of her so he was low enough for her to climb onto him. this all too familiar gesture, made her heart skip a beat.

but she looked up at him, "are you crazy?"

"nah c'mon i can hold you, hop on" she got up and walked around to look at his face, she tilted her head looking at him with a very suspicious expression, then once again looked up at the tree examining the height. she looked back down at him remembering him lifting the wooden bench in the store room and figured he was reliable enough.

"fine.. but you better not drop me" she walked around him, closing her skirt with her legs as she sat around his shoulders. he held her legs with his arms while also holding the top of the lantern in one of his hands, and stood without any trouble at all. was this really that easy for him? it was as if she wasnt even on his shoulders. he passed the lantern up to her and she took hold of it as she tried to grab the hook above her.

"its still a little too high" she complained as she stretched her arm out as far as she could trying to hook the lantern over the top.

"hold on a sec" jiro called out to her as he held her legs more firmly and rose on his tip toes.

"jiro, what are-"

"dammit just hurry up and hook the thing over!" he interrupted her, obviously under a little strain, suggesting he couldnt hold the position for very long.

kagome groaned stretching higher as the top of the lantern reached over the hook.

"got it!", kagome lightened up, a little proud at their team work. jiro quickly fell back to his feet in relief, but the sudden drop shocked kagame as she lost her balance with her hand still stretched out in the air. she fell backwards causing jiro to lose his balance with her, he pushed forward trying to hold her onto him but she accidentally kicked him in the chest causing him to fall, while she fell from above him. swiftly, he turned landing on his knees and catching kagome just before she hit the ground.

he lent down next to her to make sure she wasnt hurt, his hand still around her waist from catching her. he looked into her face but her eyes were closed together tight, as if she was still expecting to hit the ground.

"kagome? are you alright?" he looked at her seriously, as a grin emerged from her face while she opened her eyes. he looked at her with even more confusion as she started to burst out laughing.

"whats so fucking funny?" she looked over past him at the lantern on the floor. it had fallen off as she lost her balance. he sighed miserably, still holding onto her as she pulled him in closer by his shirt.

"and we're NOT trying again!" she demanded looking into his eyes. she was surprised at how happy she felt right then, jiro was fun, and she hadnt had this much fun in a long time.

her smile increased, as he smiled back at her mischievously, "i thought you said you got it?"

"i thought you said you wouldnt drop me?"

he sighed, "your such a bitch sometimes you know"

she laughed knowing his comment was harmless, "yeah and your a jerk"

he laughed too, as he let her go slightly so she was resting on the grass, but kept his arm around her waist. moving his other hand so it was resting on the grass next to her head to hold himself up.

"its been fun fooling around with you all week kagome" he moved in closer to her, so close their noses almost touched. kagomes smile slowly left her face as he looked into her eyes. but, he could see the anxiety in hers reflect into his, so pulled away lying on the grass beside her. he sighed resting his arms behind his head, as if nothing had happened.

"damn that lantern, your grandpas gonna make me go get a ladder to put the thing back up now" he complained, kagome didnt answer or turn around, her whole body was tingling and she knew her face was a little red. questions started racing through her mind, _why does he make me feel this way? why are they so a like? am i going crazy?_

but most of all, _who is jiro?_


End file.
